On July 27, the Exchange Student Graduation Ceremony was held at the Global Front on the Surugadai Campus to celebrate 192 international exchange students who completed one academic term or one academic year of the exchange student program in the spring semester. The exchange program is based on an agreement between Meiji University and foreign universities or between departments/graduate schools. The international students who completed the program came from 99 universities in 23 countries/regions. The number of participants in the graduation ceremony stood at a record high.
The ceremony started with a speech by YAMADA Toru, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Letters, and Director, Japanese Language Education Center, and Vice President KOMURO Teruhisa (International Affairs, Professor in the School of Law), Director, Headquarters of International Collaboration delivered a congratulatory speech. Vice President KOMURO introduced a passage from the charter written by the founder in 1881 when Meiji University was founded, "we acted in concert to establish a school," and said as follows, “You are already a member of the Meiji University community. Be proud of what you learned at Meiji University, and after returning to your country, please tell people around you about Meiji University as an ambassador of the University. I also hope that you will help each other when Meiji University students study in your country.” He conveyed in both Japanese and English that the bond with Meiji University would remain unchanged even after the completion of the program.
Prior to the awarding of certificates to all international students, a certificate of commendation and a commemorative gift were presented to Olife Muhammad Ashraf Steven (School of Global Japanese Studies), an exchange student from the University of New South Wales, Australia, who contributed to the internationalization of Meiji University by participating in the largest number of activities in the exchange student ambassador program introduced as a new initiative in the spring semester.
After the award of certificates to the students, Wang Jingyun (School of Arts and Letters), an exchange student from Minzu University of China, gave a speech in Japanese. "At Meiji University, there was love beyond national, regional and racial boundaries. I had many unforgettable experiences that fostered friendships based on a sense of community. Loving moments etched in our minds will be a lifelong treasure,” she recalled. When she sent a loving shout to all the international students, "Let’s continue to move forward with brave LOVE in our hearts," the audience burst into applause.
Finally, TOKORO Yasuhiro, Professor, School of Commerce and Deputy Director, International Student Center, delivered a closing speech. The ceremony ended on a high note.
On July 29,
a prom party was held by the student organization MuBO. The exchange students enjoyed the interaction with Meiji University students.
≪Japanese version≫
